Osu Sukam

Osu bin Sukam (Jawi: اوسو بن سوكم; born 19 February 1949) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 12th Chief Minister of Sabah from March 1999 to March 2001, Member of Parliament (MP) for Papar from August 1986 to March 2004 and Member of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Kawang from February 1994 to March 2004. Following the rotation system in place at that time, Osu, an ethnic Bajau, held the post for two years representing the Muslim bumiputras of Sabah. In 2001, he was replaced by Chong Kah Kiat. Until 14 July 2005, he was a member of a ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).

Election results

Parliament of Malaysia
Year	Constituency	Candidate	Votes	Pct	Opponent(s)	Votes	Pct	Ballots cast	Majority	Turnout
1986	P146 Papar, Sabah		Osu Sukam (USNO)	4,844	48.92%		James Ghani (IND)	4,638	46.83%	9,995	206	57.99%
	Othman Mohd Yassin (IND)	421	4.25%
1990		Osu Sukam (USNO)	8,452	51.22%		Abdul Rahman Juman (IND)	7,939	48.10%	16,613	513	71.80%
	Wenches B. Lajingah (IND)	45	0.27%
	Md. Ariff Ab. Bakar (IND)	41	0.25%
	Alexander Huang Tzin Tat (IND)	27	0.16%
1995	P153 Papar, Sabah		Osu Sukam (UMNO)	12,131	56.68%		Johnny Mositun (PBS)	9,015	48.10%	21,607	3,116	74.94%
	Mohd. Hashim Yussup (IND)	257	1.20%
1999		Osu Sukam (UMNO)	14,013	64.81%		Mohd Saidi Lampoh (PBS)	7,608	35.19%	21,821	6,405	70.22%

Sabah State Legislative Assembly
Year	Constituency	Candidate	Votes	Pct	Opponent(s)	Votes	Pct	Ballots cast	Majority	Turnout
1981	N.. Kawang		Osu Sukam (USNO)	2,153			Fred Sinidol (BERJAYA)	2,976		5,444	823	84.74%
	Patrit Sendu (PASOK)	222
1985	N.. Kawang		Osu Sukam (USNO)	1,923			Wenches B. Lajingah (PBS)	2,122		5,239	199	81.63%
	Fred Tokudung Sinidol (BERJAYA)	956
	Pengiran Othman Rauf @ Awang (BERSEPADU)	190
1986	N11 Sulaman, P137 Tuaran		Osu Sukam (USNO)	2,913	45.65%		Muhammad Abd Rahman (PBS)	2,510	39.34%	6,437	403	76.71%
	Mungkit Ampuling (BERJAYA)	651	10.20%
	Nawawi Budin (IND)	212	3.32%
	Bigong Albert Polinoh (IND)	80	1.25%
	A Tanjong Hakim (IND)	15	0.24%
1994	N32 Kawang		Osu Sukam (UMNO)	4,699	49.53%		Irene Daphne Pritchard @ Ariah Tengku Ahmad (PBS)	4,635	48.84%	9,561	64	81.11%
	Norbert Chin Chuan Siong (IND)	110	1.16%
	John Dagul (IND)	32	0.34%
	Duig Sumpang (IND)	12	0.13%
1999		Osu Sukam (UMNO)	7,017	57.19%		Ariah Tengku Ahmad (PBS)	4,804	39.16%	12,354	2,213	79.92%
	Mohd Kanit Omar (BERSEKUTU)	282	2.30%
	Pengiran Othman Rauf (SETIA)	117	0.95%
	Sajit Patrick Singh (IND)	49	0.40%

Controversy

Gambling debt

He resigned from his party of UMNO due to gambling debts totalling at least US$1.8 million he accumulated from Ritz Hotel Casino in London and another casino. The casino obtained a judgment in the High Court in England to recover debts owed by Osu. The casino sought to enforce the judgment in Malaysia by registering the judgment in the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak in July 2005. The High Court at Kota Kinabalu refused to register the judgment on grounds of public policy. However, in 2007, the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the casino allowing the debt to be recovered.

Honours

Malaysia Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM) – Tan Sri (2022)
Sabah Grand Commander of the Order of Kinabalu (SPDK) – Datuk Seri Panglima (1997) Commander of the Order of Kinabalu (PGDK) – Datuk (1994)
Sarawak Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak (DA) – Datuk Amar (1999)

Political offices
Preceded byBernard Giluk Dompok	Chief Minister of Sabah 1999–2001	Succeeded byChong Kah Kiat